Great fantasy, mystical story of magic, witches and mystery! Fifth graders will love this page-turner!!

Engaging and highly readable YA novel about 12 year old housemaid Zita Brydgeborn who goes from orphan maid to sole heir of a famous witch dynasty (with castle and responsibilities to boot) overnight. But when Zita arrives at Castle Blackbird hoping to be reunited with her long lost family she is instead confronted with a partially destroyed castle that harbors spirits of the dead (both friendly and threatening), rooms that are both deadly and strange, a caretaker who hates her, and a rapidly increasing number of life-and-death mysteries.

This novel dances the line between fantasy and horror, so more sensitive readers may want to exercise caution. Currently the novel is slated to be a standalone work, but I very much hope it becomes a series and can easily see ways in which this could be achieved.

Zita is in for a strange adventure, and one I had so much fun on, when she is given a message from a scarecrow that she's inherited a castle. Right from the start you get a sense of whimsy, that remains throughout, even as just the right amount creepy works in for younger readers.

I love the creative setting and the creatures. The description of the castle gave it a spooky feeling that was still light and filled with wonder. It's a first person tale, and the main heroine is brave, sweet, often sassy, and totally relatable. There are also some fun characters Zita encounters as she attempts to find out what it means to be the last in a dynasty of witches. Bram and Minnifer made me laugh when they greeted her and continued to give me giggles as the story grew more thrilling.

I liked trying to figure out the mystery and was so happy with the ending. The story moved at a fast pace that will be perfectly suited for holding readers of all ages grippe. The tone makes it perfect to read during the Halloween season.